Don't You Dare

Chapter Fourteen:

Monday and Tuesday flew by like a flash of lightning and graduation was upon us...

"Shelby! What shoes are you wearing to the ceremony?" my mother shouted down the hallway. I ran towards her voice, which I admit was kind of hard in a black dress. "I don't know what should I wear?" I inquired. She held up some black high heels."Uh, no." I grabbed them and threw them to the ground. Walking into the mud room, I found the dress boots that I had worn to church.

"You got me in the dress momma, please don't push it any farther." I laughed and rushed back to my bedroom. I looked in the mirror above my desk at my makeup. I had finally, after years, captured the smokey eye look just right. My hair was straightened and pinned back out of my face. I huffed and fixed my dress.

"Shelby! Come on its time to go!" This time it was my father who screamed down the hall. "Yes sir I'm comin'!"

*****
Once we got to the school there were cars lining the entire street, cars parked in the grass and in the play ground.

I stepped out onto the asphalt and my father took my arm. He looked down and smiled, my mother walked on the other side and did the same.

We arrived in the auditorium and I saw a blur running towards us. The blur collided with my legs and wrapped me in a hug. "Joseph, hey!" I greeted Tanner's little brother. I picked him up and gave him a hug. When I put him down he took off towards his mother who was already heading this way. I saw that Tanner was with her and my stomach twisted with excitement.

My mother and his hugged and continued to their seats. Tanner and I walked towards back stage. "Good luck sweetheart." My father said winking and then glaring at Tanner. I giggled and we continued.

We made it back stage and our principal was going wild. "Okay people!" she screamed over all of us. "You all know what to do, we've rehearsed this!" She banged on her clip board. After a long speech on what we already knew, she walked out past the curtain to the podium. I heard loud clapping and then Alyssa started to walk forward.

"Good luck!" I whispered to her before she walked on stage. Sucked she had to go first, but I was glad it wasn't me. She smiled weakly and kept walking.

Tanner and I kept each other's company until it was my turn. I stepped away from him but he tried to prolong the kiss. "Tanner, your gonna' mess up my hair!" I chuckled as I waved to him. "Don't stutter!" he whisper/yelled towards me. I shot him a smile before I walked out onto stage.

As I walked to the podium I noticed my Maw Maw, Paw Paw and basically my whole family had shown up. They screeched and cheered as I walked. I grinned and flipped through the cards that I had prepared for my speech. I looked out at the anxious crowd. "You know what.." I said, my voice echoing through the microphone, "I don't need these." I threw the cards to the floor. I could hear the principal cursing under her breath.

" I didn't get here because I'm special, or talented. I got here because I never stopped working. I have my dad to thank for that. If it wasn't for my parents, I would've never have made it past my freshman year." The crowd erupted into laughter." I don't have much to say but, thank you. There were always times when I would've rather been doing something besides school work, but I didn't. As much as a hindrance as school seems to be, I'm grateful for the education I've received. I'm truly blessed to have made it this far." The crowd was silent until I saw my mother stand. She clapped, tears streaming down her face, my father followed her. Then my grandparents, then the entire crowd. The butterflies swarmed in my stomach. I sighed my relief as the principal took the podium. "Well," she said sniffling and wiping away a stray tear,"Wasn't that a speech?"

She turned and looked at me. "Shelby," she started and looked towards the right stage. "You say your not special, and your wrong." She grabbed a sash from somebody and placed it over my head. "You are this year's valedictorian!" She spread her arms for the crowd to cheer. I was speechless, was this really...? I walked off the stage blindly, passing Tanner. "How am I supposed to follow that?" he joked as I walked past him. I smiled but continued towards a chair so I could sit down.

We reached the end of the ceremony and the principal had finished her speech. "Congratulations! High School graduates!" she shouted. We all threw up our hats and yelled our excitement. Flashes from cameras went off everywhere. Tanner pulled me behind the crowd of our peers and gave me a long, warm kiss. We pushed through the people and raised our hands together in excitement.